Extra readers' letters, June 30, 2013

Sunday

Jun 30, 2013 at 12:01 AMJun 30, 2013 at 6:14 PM

Editor: Your answer (Mailbox, last Sunday) as to why fans at the U.S. Open were yelling "Get in the hole" among other things was to say that's Philadelphia home of the worst fans. Really? Is that the first golf tournament you've watched on TV the last 10-plus years?

Ray Stein, The Columbus Dispatch

Editor: Your answer (Mailbox, last Sunday) as to why fans at the U.S. Open were yelling "Get in the hole" among other things was to say that's Philadelphia home of the worst fans. Really? Is that the first golf tournament you've watched on TV the last 10-plus years?

Golf spectators can be heard all across the country including right here at the Memorial screaming stupid things after tee shots, i.e. mashed potatoes. That was not just a Philly fan thing.

I know many great Philly fans, including my wife. All fan bases have some bad apples, yes maybe some more than others, but it's not fair to put everyone in the same boat, but the main reason I wanted to write was original point above.

Matt Baker, via email

Mr. Stein: Where does all the Philly hate come from? I am a transplanted Philly fan here in Ohio. I have seen and heard much worse things here in Ohio than I ever did in my 30 plus years in the Philly area.

Sorry if you had a bad experience with a Philly fan, but I assure you, if you sat with a true Philly fan at any sporting event, you would sincerely enjoy yourself. It was quite off-putting to read what you wrote about Philly fans, when in reality, we are all the great people and fans.

I would love to sit with you at a sporting event - you would see how the majority of Philly fans truly conduct ourselves!

Julie Bill, via email

Editor: Once again I open The Mailbox (June 16) to find Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins being bashed again. Could we be talking about the same Sid who just won the Ted Lindsay Award for the league's most outstanding player, as voted on by the NHL Players Association?

Owner of a Stanley Cup Championship and an Olympic Gold Medal? The same player that almost everyone with an ounce of hockey knowledge considers the best player in the world? The same player who plays at that level after two concussions and a shattered jaw?

Do some statistical research so that you don't show your lack of hockey knowledge. Well, get ready. With the Blue Jackets moving to the Eastern Division, you're going to see him up close about six times a year. It'll give me more opportunities to ride the Zamboni at Nationwide Arena!

Jeff Holliday, Delaware

Editor: I appreciate your including the College World Series story in (Tuesday’s) paper. Though my MSU Bulldogs lost, I enjoyed reading the recap.

I'd love to see OSU baseball become popular. I'll always be a Bulldog but am working on becoming a Buckeye fan.

Ken Watkins, Westerville

Editor: As a fan of OSU football for more than 20 years and a grad of another Big Ten school, I wanted to commend Bob Hunter on his piece (last Sunday), “Division III not a terrible model for college sports.”

I know many fans and media folks think athletes at Division I schools should receive additional funds on top of their academic scholarships, but I think this would lead to an even bigger advantage to schools that have a large enough athletic department budget to accommodate the additional cost.

OSU, as well as the few other schools that could afford such a policy, would attract even more of the top-level high-school athletes, making the conference less competitive than it is now.

Besides the financial “stress” and probable break-up of conferences like the Big Ten, OSU and few other large schools around the country would create a new, super-conference and the majority of Division I schools would realign in new conference affiliations. In essence, OSU and similar athletic departments would be operating more like a semi-pro operation. Is this really what we want intercollegiate athletics to become?

I think the real issue is the size of athletic budgets at our major universities. Do they need to keep getting bigger and bigger each year? How about the NCAA requiring Division I athletic departments look for ways to cut current budgets without losing enough revenue to support “minor sport” teams?

Perhaps coaches’ salaries would be one place to start the process. It appears that increasing budgets at these schools just adds to our problems.

I’d like to think our goal is to create environments where students who happen to be good athletes can compete in sports; hence, the athletic scholarship concept. The games would still be competitive.

Perhaps it’s time for university administrators to remind fans, media, coaches, etc. what the true purpose of an academic institution is all about.

If fans want to see athletes who are paid to play, we have a number of professional teams throughout Ohio who will be pleased to sell you tickets to their games.

Hugh Schultz, Dublin

Editor: When is the Buckeyes going to get a good PA man at the Schott? This guy we’ve had is the most boring I've heard in the conference or the nation. We need someone who will excite the fans throughout the game and not just at player introductions.

Tell me what it will take to do this.

Wayne Brewer, via email

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